Exploring: Terminator Salvation

Terminator: Salvation is the next installment in the Terminator franchise. It takes place during John Connor's freedom fighter days as he leads the resistance against the Skynet and the robot army. In his attempt to defeat Skynet and its army of Terminators by Marcus Wright, a man who apparently has been rescued from the past, though Connor wonders if instead he’s been sent from the future as a foil to his plan. As Connor and Wright push deep into the heart of Skynet, they get closer and closer to learning the secret behind the organization’s mission to wipe humankind off the planet.

I loved the first two Terminator movies becoming a fan of the story and setting. It was the best of both worlds great action with killer robots and good speculative fiction. Then the third movie happened which moved the franchise away from any good "what if" and into pure boring action. I originally had a lot of hope with this movie exploring John Connor's adult years and getting back into the setting returning the franchise back to what made it so great... after some of the early reviews and McG's talks that hope is swiftly slipping.

I put this one into the caution category. I will watch it in the theater to review it but recommend for others to wait until the reviews are in. My hopes is Terminator will turn out to be like Star Trek in quality rather than X-Men Wolverine.

Exploring: Year One

Year One is a Jack Black adventure, comedy, alternate history movie. When a couple of lazy hunter-gatherers are banished from their primitive village, they embark on a journey through their ancient world. Along the way, they encounter Adam and Eve, Cain and Abe, and Abraham.
I like Jack Black and find most of his movies to be very entertaining in their least. The premise of Year One did not excite me nor intrigue me yet the trailer did make me laugh.

This is a renter and I suspect could even be a good movie. I'm wondering if it will be just fluff or if this will be like Kung Fu Panda and have great messages, be entertaining, make me laugh and just all around be an edifying experience.

Let me know what you think. Will you go to see Year One in the theater on June 19, 2009 or rent it? If you have seen it in the theater should I go see it and why?

Exploring: Moon

Moon is about a solitary lunar employee who finds that he may not be able to go home to Earth so easily. It is a science fiction/thriller film that appears to have a "2001: A Space Odyssey" and "Solaris" feel to it. The early reviews are good though this one is still a renter for me. Watch the trailer above.

Let me know what you think. Will you go to see Moon in the theater on June 12th or rent it?

Exploring: Drag Me to Hell

Drag Me to Hell is about a loan officer who is ordered to evict an old woman from her home finds herself the recipient of a supernatural curse which turns her life into a living nightmare. Desperate, she turns to a seer for help, and learns she only has a short period of time before she is literally ushered into Hell. It hits theaters May 29.

Sam Rami writes, directs, and produces this horror movie and so I'm very interested in it.

Drag Me to Hell is Sam Rami's return to horror movies in 22 years which has generated a lot of buzz and curiosity. His last horror movie was Evil Dead II.

I have hopes that it will avoid some of the more common mistakes of horror like showing too much too early and not using the audiences imagination to make the tale personally scary. It's received good early reviews and if I have time this would also be a theater for me.

Let me know what you think, watch the trailer below. Will you go to see Drag me to Hell in the theater or rent it? If you have seen it in the theater should I go see it and why?

Exploring: Night at the Museum 2 Battle of the Smithsonian

Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian is the second in the Night at the Museum movies. In it we follow security guard Larry Daley as he infiltrates the Smithsonian Institute in order to rescue Jedediah and Octavius, who have been shipped to the museum by mistake.
I really enjoyed the first Night at the Museum movie but I'm not holding my breath for this one. From the trailers it looks like one badly repeated stale joke after another. What worries me the most is that I only chuckled once at one moment from the trailers. My rationale is that trailers tend to feature the best the movie has to offer and if that is their best I'm not impressed. The early reviews have only supported this concern.

I'm doubting if I will even rent this movie. More then likely I will be made to watch it by family and expect to only enjoy the moments spent with family during that time.

Let me know what you think. Will you go to see Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian in the theater on May 22, 2009 or rent it? If you have seen it in the theater should I go see it and why?

Theater or Renter: May 2009

Theater or Renter: May includes eight SF movies: X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Battle for Terra, Star Trek, Angels & Demons, Terminator: Salvation, Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian, Up, Drag Me to Hell. Will we watch? Will we rent? or do we even care?
Rules of the Game: Watch the trailers. Rate the Trailer. Then share with us your comments: does the movie, it’s trailer and buzz make you want to watch it in the theater, rent it, or not interested at all, and why?

The Plot / Story: The first chapter in the X-Men Saga, unites Wolverine with several other legends of the X-Men universe, in an epic revolution that pits the mutants against powerful forces determined to eliminate them. Are you concerned that there is no story in that description... I am. (Wikipedia) (The Official Site)

The Plot / Story: When the peace-loving inhabitants of the beautiful planet Terra come under attack from the last surviving members of humanity adrift in an aging spaceship, the stage is set for an all-out war between the two races for control of the planet. But will an unlikely friendship between a rebellious young Terrian and an injured human piolt somehow convince their leaders that war is not the answer? (Wikipedia) (The Official Site)

The Plot / Story: Based on the book Angels & Demons by Dan Brown. Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon finds himself in Rome, where he has to race against time to prevent the Illuminati, a secret society, from putting in motion a terrorist act that could destroy the Vatican. He's aided in his quest by the beautiful Italian scientist Vittoria Vetri (Wikipedia) (The Official Site)

The Plot / Story: John Connor is joined in his attempt to defeat Skynet and its army of Terminators by Marcus Wright, a man who apparently has been rescued from the past, though Connor wonders if instead he's been sent from the future as a foil to his plan. As Connor and Wright push deep into the heart of Skynet, they get closer and closer to learning the secret behind the organization's mission to wipe humankind off the planet. (Wikipedia) (The Official Site)

The Plot / Story: Security guard Larry Daley infiltrates the Smithsonian Institute in order to rescue Jedediah and Octavius, who have been shipped to the museum by mistake. (Wikipedia) (The Official Site)

The Plot / Story: By tying thousands of balloon to his home, 78-year-old Carl Fredricksen sets out to fulfill his lifelong dream to see the wilds of South America. Right after lifting off, however, he learns he isn't alone on his journey, since Russell, a wilderness explorer 70 years his junior, has inadvertently become a stowaway on the trip. (Wikipedia) (The Official Site)

The Plot / Story: A loan officer ordered to evict an old woman from her home finds herself the recipient of a supernatural curse which turns her life into a living nightmare. Desperate, she turns to a seer for help, and learns she only has a short period of time before she is literally ushered into Hell. (Wikipedia) (The Official Site)